Page:A General Sketch of Political History from the Earlist Times.djvu/340

 328 THE BOURBON AGE ing April demonstrated the superiority of the Prussian troops drilled and armed under the system of Frederick William. A military force of unknown capacity had thus been added to the circle of Maria Theresa's enemies, at whose front stood the Elector of Bavaria with his claim of succession both to the Austrian inheritance and to the empire. Spain supported Bavaria, but she was already plunged in a war with Great Britain over commercial quarrels in South American Seas ; while her adversary had command of the sea, and so cut her off from the rest of Europe. Great Britain was on the side of Maria Theresa, partly as a matter of good faith ; and partly because, her king being elector of Hanover, she could hardly help being on the same side as Hanover on any question in which she intervened. But for France the war might not have become general ; but here an aggressive party became dominant which proposed to France, partition the Austrian inheritance on the broad Britain, and principle of France taking the Netherlands, Spain and Savoy or Sardinia sharing Italy, and Bavaria taking Bohemia with the Imperial Crown. Throughout the war it was the main object of England and Hanover to separate Frederick from the alliance by persuading Maria Theresa to con- cede his claims in Silesia ; because King George was very much afraid that otherwise Frederick might invade Hanover. On this point, however, Maria Theresa would not give way. The one stroke of policy on her part was the winning of the enthusiastic support of Hungary, hitherto exceedingly turbulent and un- manageable, by the concession of constitutional privileges persistently demanded but till this time withheld. Nevertheless, the forces allied against the Austrian queen seemed so over- whelming that before the end of 1741 she consented to buy off Frederick by ceding Lower Silesia. His withdrawal was brief ; for the allies captured Prague, and a palace-revolution in Russia placed on the throne the Tsarina Elizabeth, who was inclined to a French alliance. Frederick thought there was more to be gained by again joining the allies. After another victory in 1742, however, he obtained terms from the Austrian queen with which he was satisfied, and he again